Give Me Back My Heart
by averygirl
Summary: "It's hard to try and give your heart to someone when the last person you gave it to is still breaking it and won't give it back." Carter/Bridget (friendship, mostly).


**Give Me Back My Heart**

_**A Bridget Forrester and Carter Walton friendship-y one shot based on the prompt: "It's hard to try and give your heart to someone when the last person you gave it to is still breaking it and won't give it back."**_

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><p>His hands came to knot in the locks of her blonde hair. His mouth was on hers and she felt his tongue nudging at her lips. It <em>should<em> have felt amazing. She was very attracted to him but somehow she felt… Like they were both trying too hard here.

She returned his kiss though it left her cold. Still, she would see this through. Carter Walton was the perfect catch. How could she even think of turning him away and hurting him when he'd been burned so badly before?

_Focus, Bridget, focus!_ She shouted at herself. She went to move her arm to grasp his hips and ended up smacking him in the shoulder – **hard** - instead.

"Ohhh..." It wasn't a groan of pleasure, that was for sure.

"Oh, Carter, ohmigod, I'm so sorry."

"It's okay," Carter said. He stared at her with those luscious brown eyes of his and she reared up to kiss him, instead knocking her forehead against his.

She grabbed her own head. "Oh, Jesus… I'm sorry."

Carter shook his head and shifted away from her. "It's okay… It's just…"

"A comedy of errors?"

"Well, yeah, sort of…"

"Don't give up on me. I am just nervous… Let's try this again." She reached for him, tugging his large, muscular body down on hers. She felt him crash against her bent knee and this time he cringed and choked out, "_oh God."_

"Did I …"

"Knee my package? Yeah, yeah you did," Carter said. He fell back on the cushions, fairly panting but not for the reasons she had intended. He wasn't turned on… Just the opposite in fact. She felt terrible.

"God, I really am so sorry! I am so jumpy; I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize," he said, gritting his teeth in obvious pain.

Bridget pulled herself up on the sofa and fixed the straps on her pink summer dress. "Let me get some ice…"

Carter grabbed her arm. "No, please don't. That's the last thing that will help."

"Oh damn, I messed up. I'm so sorry. Is there anything I can do?"

"Yeah… You can be honest with me."

"Oh okay…" She felt nervous as she carefully tucked her legs underneath her. "What do you want me to be honest about?"

"Do you – I mean, do you want to really do this? Have sex with me?"

"Carter-"

He held up a hand to stop her. "Be honest, please. I won't be mad, I promise."

"Honestly?"

He nodded. "Honestly."

"Honestly, I find you wildly attractive. You're smart, strong, confidant… sexy as hell… But-but-"

"But you're not actually into me."

"I am! I guess I just have a lot on my mind."

"You're not attracted to me, are you?"

"I am, Carter. I swear I am. It's just… There's –"

"Someone else?"

"No! At least not anymore. I didn't plan on any of this. I didn't plan on meeting you and becoming friends and then dating you and –" Bridget sighed. "It's all happening so fast and it hasn't been that long since we ended our relationships with … _the other people."_

Carter nodded. "I understand. I am thinking a lot about my other _person_ – well, my _ex_-other person tonight too… How long ago did you and your guy end things?"

Bridget sighed and tugged her legs up to her chest. She rested her chin on her kneecaps. "About two months ago... A month before I met you… It's kind of been a whirlwind. Not what I was expecting when I came to visit my family… I guess I didn't deal with everything before – before … _this."_ She gestured to their rumpled clothes; his Italian leather shoes tucked under the coffee table; his jacket neatly folded over the arm of a nearby chair.

"I guess if I'm to be honest, I have to admit that I haven't dealt with everything with _her_ either… Maya… Why do I have such a hard time saying her name?"

"She broke your heart. It's understandable."

"Do you have a hard time saying his name?"

"Yeah, yeah I do," Bridget said. "We weren't even together that long but he – his name is – is Jared… He changed my life. I thought I knew what love was before meeting him but this was-"

"Intense?"

"Yes! He was Deacon and Nick all rolled into one – devilishly handsome, cocky, sweet and then sour… But so much more. The minute I saw him standing in that coffee shop … I was hit with his feeling that there would never be and could never be another guy for me."

"What happened?"

"He lied."

"Was he with someone else or –" Carter shook his head. "Never mind."

"Not exactly… I mean, it's really hard to explain but he hurt me more than anyone ever has before. I can - can barely breathe when I think about him. He is making it impossible – completely impossible – to move on. You're the best person for me and all I can think about is-"

"_Jared."_

"Right."

"Any chance you two can work things out?"

Bridget shook her head. "No. I just wish-" Her voice broke and tears swam in her eyes. "God, I'm sorry. I-"

"Don't apologize. You've done way too much of that tonight. I'm not mad. The heart wants what it wants, even when it's bad for us."

A tear rolled down Bridget's cheek and Carter reached out and wiped it away gently. It was such a sweet gesture. She should be falling madly in love with him, not wishing for something that could never, ever be again.

"But my heart hurts, Carter," she cried, another tear falling. "He has to – Jared has to give it back. How can I still love him when he hurt me this badly?"

"Oh, baby girl," Carter said and pulled her into a tight hug. It was a friendly hug, a gesture of comfort, and nothing more. She knew in that moment that she and Carter would never have more than friendship and that was both comforting and hurtful. He was the perfect man and yet she still wanted the one who had butchered her soul. Was she a masochist or what?

"I am sorry he hurt you," Carter said. "You're such an amazing, beautiful woman."

"Th-thanks," Bridget said, resting her teary face in the crook of his neck. "You're such a good man. You'd be perfect for me if only-"

"If only Jared wasn't in your blood."

"Yeah… And if only Maya wasn't in yours."

Carter nodded and rested his head atop hers. "Yeah… She hurt me so bad, but I guess… I guess, I can't shake her either. I've been thinking about her all night… I'm pathetic."

"If you are, then so am I," Bridget said. "Do you think we can still be friends if nothing else?"

"Yeah, honey, I would like that a lot," Carter said. "I need a friend like you."

"And I need a friend like you," Bridget said. "I don't have other friends really so this means a lot. I am just sorry we can't be _IT_ for each other."

"Me too, Bridget, me too," Carter said. He checked his watch and then lightly tapped her chin. "Hey, it's only nine-thirty. We have hours to kill yet…"

"TV Land marathon?" Bridget said with a little laugh.

"You read my mind," Carter said. He handed her the remote and she flipped on the television.

"Thanks for being so understanding."

"Can't exactly judge when I'm in the same boat as you."

Bridget smiled a bit wider this time. "Yeah, I guess not, huh?"

She snuggled against his side as the credits for _Three's Company_ rolled. Bridget and Carter's relationship had been cemented tonight. They would be the best of friends from now on and Bridget knew that that was just what they both needed the most.

**THE END**


End file.
